1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to valves for controlling fluid flow that operate to permit and disrupt fluid flow automatically, and more particularly to ring-type valve structures used as air inlet valves and exhaust valves in high pressure gas compressors and fluid pumps. Specifically, the present invention relates to an improvement in the ring valve structures described in co-pending U.S. letters patent application Ser. No. 07/278,225, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,832 filed Nov. 30, 1988 by inventors Jerre F. Lauterbach, Nathan Ritchie and Richard F. Miller entitled "RING VALVE TYPE AIR COMPRESSOR", and owned by the assignee of the present application.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ring type valves per se are well known in the prior art, and have a wide acceptance in use for air compressors and pumps. Basically, these ring type valves are opened and closed by pressure differential on opposite sides of the ring valve. It is also heretofore known to include biasing of spring devices along with such ring valves in order to accurately control valve movement upon a pressure differential which is above the spring force of the spring selected in each case. In this way, the valve is opened or closed only upon reaching a pre-determined pressure differential dependent on the spring properties of the spring chosen and the mass of the valve, wherein the valve action can be predicted. The said U.S. letters patent application Ser. No. 07/278,225 was directed to solving certain problems in the prior art as exemplified by constructions such as those shown in Herzmark, U.S. Pat. No. 2,382,716 issued Aug. 14, 1945; Peters, U.S. Pat. No. 1,222,321 issued Apr. 10, 1917 and Garland, U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,834 issued Jan. 22, 1974. Such constructions generally disclose use of spring washers that are freely supported to bias the ring valves in a desired position. This type of spring washer and ring valve assembly requires additional supporting structure to retain the spring washer, which decreases the efficiency of the air compressor by lowering the compression volume of each cylinder at the end of the suction stroke, and increases the cost, weight, and complexity of the valve assembly. The said co-pending U.S. letters patent application Ser. No. 07/278,225 solved those problems in the prior art by providing a biasing means for the ring valve having a peripheral region which is connected to the fluid pump to retain the ring valve between the cylinder head and the bias means, and thus eliminate the additional supporting structure and the decrease of efficiency in the prior art devices.
However, it has been found that in certain applications, because of air turbulence and the like, some problems have arisen in such improved device, such as the ring valves taking on a "spinning" action, and becoming worn due to resonance conditions causing the ring valve to impact the valve seat with excessive force and becoming dented about the regions of contact between the valve seat and the ring valve, and thus, eventually, causing a leaky condition. Thus, it was clear that additional improvements and invention were need to solve those problems.